The fourth victim of the Jaipur Express shooting has been identified as Syed Saifuddin, 48, a resident of Nampally in Hyderabad. He is survived by three daughters, the youngest of whom is just 6 months old.
He was the sole provider for his family, working at a mobile shop at Gujarati Galli in Hyderabad’s Koti. He was on his way back to Hyderabad from Ajmer, accompanied by the shop owner when RPF constable Chetan Singh killed him and three others, onboard the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Express (12956) near Palghar railway station in Maharashtra around 5 am on July 31.
The deceased include three Muslim passengers and a tribal officer. Chetan Singh hailed PM Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath after hunting down Muslim passengers and killing them, showed the videos.
Saifuddin was shot dead along with a fellow passenger, Abdul Kadar Mohamed Hussain Bhanpurwala, in the pantry car before the RPF constable moved to S-6 coach, where he pumped bullets into the third passenger, Asghar Abbas Ali, a bangle seller from Jaipur.
Saifuddin‘s family said they learned about his death a day after the tragic incident when the police called his brother to inform about it.
“We are shell-shocked after railway police came knocking in the morning to inform us about my husband’s death. The assailant should be hanged,” said his wife, Anjum Shaheen, TOI reported.
According to his uncle, Mohammed Wajid Pasha, the RPF constable asked his name before killing him.
“My nephew was a devout Muslim who observed prayers. He was accompanied by his employer to purchase stock for the shop. The employer states that he was questioned about his name and then killed. This is a matter that goes beyond understanding,” said Wajid.
Wajid appeals to the Union government as well as the state government to help Saifuddin’s widowed wife get a government job and support their children’s education.
The grieving family lives in a rented house, facing financial difficulties. Originally from Bidar in Karnataka, Saifuddin moved to Hyderabad 12 years ago and lived in a rented house at Battery Band Lane in Nampally. His body has been taken to Bidar for burial
Wajid asks the government to help ease their hardships and provide a steady income. While nothing can fill the void left by their loved one, financial and emotional support would bring some comfort during this tough time, he said.
“We appeal to the AIMIM party and KCR Sahab that no amount of compensation can replace the loss of Saifuddin’s life. My nephew has a 6-month-old daughter, a 2.5-year-old daughter, and a 6-year-old daughter. They deserve a complete education, and his wife, who has completed graduation, should be provided with a stable government job,” he told the media outside his nephew’s house.
Asaduddin Owaisi, the president of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and Member of Parliament from Hyderabad, termed it as a “terror attack that specifically targeted Muslims.”
Following the incident, Owaisi said he has reached out to Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, requesting his assistance in providing support to Syed Saifuddin’s family.
“AIMIM Nampally MLA Jaffer Hussain Meraj is with the family for the past few hours & coordinating with officials to bring the deceased’s body to Hyderabad. Request @TelanganaCMO @KTRBRS to support the bereaved family in these tough times,” he tweeted.
Meraj MLA stated that the killer targeted Saifudheen and two other passengers because they had a beard, while Saifudeen’s shop owner escaped as he was clean-shaven.
This story is drafted by Aktarista Ansari, Maktoob’s editorial intern.
